Mazambique's major Hydroelectric Cahora Bassa (HCB) Dam on the River
Zambezi will undergo extensive refurbishments this year.
"We have planned extensive
modernisation and expansion plans to the infrastructure and the dam's mechanisms," Silva said without
disclosing the amount to be spent on the work to be done. "The modernisation programme includes the sectors of the dam itself and the sub-station. We have just concluded the modernisation of the southern electricity generation plant", he said. In addition, the government
has authorised HCB to build a new US$800 million power station in the northern bank that could increase
power supplies to the energy-starved neighbouringcountries.Currently, the company has exhausted the maximum capacity of power it can produce from its generators on the southern bank of the Zambezi.

HCB, which suffered from decades of neglect and lack of investment, currently provides 60 percent of its power to South Africa's Eskom and 35 percent to the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA).Mozambique consumes the remaining 5 percent and only 15 percent of the country's 20 million people have access to electricity.